Xubuntu xfce always boots to maximum screen resolution

what video card does:

lspci | grep -i vga

say you have?

I am curios as to why you want to know my video card,I have been using Ubuntu for the last 4 years and this problem has only happened since I switched to the the Xfce desktop.
        fminmexico.

Well, if its an nvidia, you can set the res using the friendly app and write the changes to xorg.conf

If you add the desired res in there then it will be used in future settings. Why did you need to ask? why not just provide the info, or even add it to the bottom of your 2nd post? That would make things quicker.

my card is not an nvideo and I cannot figure out where it is listed in the Xfce desktop. I guess my question should be why does this only happen with Xubuntu Xfce desktop which has a completely different set up than the normal Ubuntu desktop.When I setup the display in settings it normally stays at what I setup, but not with Xfce.
          fminmexico.

You don'y have to work it out. I told you the command to run which would tell you EXACTLY what it was. It's nvidia not nvideo too.
If you can run the command in a terminal and provide the output, we can progress.

As an extra to speed things up, if you read this:
http://modular.math.washington.edu/macbook/xorg.conf

If you look in the Screen section you will see resolutions being defined and at a certain bitdepth. So if you add:

 DefaultDepth 24
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 24
  Modes "1024x768"
 EndSubSection

Then it will always be at 1024x768 If you want a different res then change the values. You may have to add some other lines from that link but if you set stuff in that file it will force the desktop to that resolution

I am sorry but where did you tell me the command to run.
    fminmexico

With 4 years ubuntu experience I would have thought you would be familiar with the terminal. I think someone is lying about their experience but at this point it doesn't matter.

I am familiar with the terminal I asked you what was the command,I could not find any terminal command in any of your posts.My mistake I found the command and I got
 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 661/741/760 PCI/AGP or 662/761Gx PCIE VGA Display Adapter (rev 03)
  sorry for my mixup.
    fminmexico.

great, we are now rolling

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=52045.0

again points to adding lines to xorg.conf to restrict the resolution. I don't know why only xfce is exhibiting these symptoms but If you gate the output using xorg.conf then it will be steady no matter what DE you select.

when I run xorg.conf I get command not found.
    fminmexico.

xorg.conf is not a command. it is a config file. You are clearly new to Linux. I will now proceed as I would a normal question on here

if you press alt+f2
type:
gksudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and add lines similar to the link in the file. You may wish to take a backup the file first before you start playing by running ths command in terminal:

sudo cd /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_original

You now have a rollback method.

when I run
 sudo cd /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_original
I get command not found.
          fminmexico.

when I run program gksudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf it asks for my password then nothing happens.
 fminmexico.

sorry:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_original

That will backup the file:

As the file is owned by root I gues its ok to run:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

This is a standard method to getting xorg.conf editted and was the ONLY way to get a decent display in anything pre-gutsy which was released in 2007, yet further disproving your 4 year usage claim. I'm suprised you didnt see my slip up with the command to backup the conf file.

Ok first of all I am using Xubuntu 9.04 64 bit edition,I started of with the live cd 4 years ago and after using it for the last 4 years I even managed to figure out how to dual boot with windows xp.Right now I have a dual boot xp 64 with an Xubuntu 64.Just because a person uses Ubuntu for 4 years does not make them an expert.I am 70 years old for gods sake,give me a break.
          fminmexico.

You need to add lines regarding the resolution to the xorg.conf file. this will restrict the display.

In the screen section add the lines:

 DefaultDepth 24
 SubSection "Display"
  Depth 24
  Modes "1024x768"
 EndSubSection

Then restart x with CTRL+ALT+PRNTSCRN+K, you should then only have 1024x768 resolution.

If you want something different then use different values, basically you will be wrestling this file and restarting X until you get a desirable display.

Sorry to go on about stuff earlier, just with 4 years experience I kinda hoped I wouldnt have to spoon feed so much. Cool you are rocking the Linux at 70 though :)

I cannot access xorg.conf file from anywhere,any suggestions.
     fminmexico.

press ALT+F2
in the box that opens type:
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
press enter.

The file is common on ALL linux distributions, how much it controls depends on content. HAL usually controls things which is why people say "it's not needed" but if you populate the file it will override the HAL things.

when I do that it asks for my password then it closes.
          fminmexico.

Ok then in terminal run:

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

this ia what I get
 xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

^G Get Help ^O WriteOut ^R Read File ^Y Prev Page ^K Cut Text ^C Cur Pos
^X Exit ^J Justify ^W Where Is ^V Next Page ^U UnCut Text ^T To Spell

now how do I do what you suggested.
        fminmexico.

OK if you scroll the page up and down you will see there is a lot more to the file, but thats the file you need to edit.

Have fun :)

sorry that is the whole window nothing to scroll.
           fminmexico.

It will, use cursors.

I thank you for your time and patience but this is impossible for me and I am going to re-install Ubuntu 9.04 64bit.Again I thank you for your help.
          fminmexico